Mind Your Farm Business

In an agricultural context, AI has typically meant making sure animals are bred without needing a bull or ram around. But that’s changing, as artificial intelligence is applied in more areas. Doug Foley, president of Giant Goat, says the data management aspect of AI is already a large part of much of the digital tools… Read More

Imagine a game of telephone, where someone shares a phrase with the person next to them and they whisper it to the person next to them and so on until at the end of the line of people, the last person shares what they think they heard. More times than not, something is lost in… Read More

Becoming an effective leader of any team begins with first taking charge of yourself. Leadership of self, says Mark Gasparotto, is a necessary step before being truly ready and able to lead others, whether on the farm or elsewhere in life. Gasparotto, founder of The Gasparotto Group and former Canadian military commander, says potential leaders... Read More

Becoming an effective leader of any team begins with first taking charge of yourself. Leadership of self, says Mark Gasparotto, is a necessary step before being truly ready and able to lead others, whether on the farm or elsewhere in life. Gasparotto, founder of The Gasparotto Group and former Canadian military commander, says potential leaders… Read More

In agriculture, we love to hate on acronyms and buzzwords, but like many things that become a daily part of our lives, some words — and the topic they represent — are worth getting past the initial dislike and really diving in to what a particular idea or topic could mean for the farm business.... Read More

In agriculture, we love to hate on acronyms and buzzwords, but like many things that become a daily part of our lives, some words — and the topic they represent — are worth getting past the initial dislike and really diving in to what a particular idea or topic could mean for the farm business…. Read More

Did you always know what you wanted to be when you grew up? For many, their career arc is not necessarily what they planned. Many who start in one field discover and become fascinated with another. Others identify opportunities and switch gears accordingly. Some people just fall in to a job they love. When deciding... Read More

Did you always know what you wanted to be when you grew up? For many, their career arc is not necessarily what they planned. Many who start in one field discover and become fascinated with another. Others identify opportunities and switch gears accordingly. Some people just fall in to a job they love. When deciding… Read More

You can’t take it with you. In this case, the “it” is the farm, and if you’re putting off transitioning the farm to a new owner or manager, you might be missing out on a huge opportunity to mentor and continue the success of the legacy you’ve built. The trouble is, most of us operate... Read More

You can’t take it with you. In this case, the “it” is the farm, and if you’re putting off transitioning the farm to a new owner or manager, you might be missing out on a huge opportunity to mentor and continue the success of the legacy you’ve built. The trouble is, most of us operate… Read More

If improving the cost of production is on your farming to-do list, starting with accurate numbers is a must. If the equipment side of the equation has you stuck on what to include, why, and how to get caught up on where your records should be, this is the Mind Your Farm Business podcast for... Read More

If improving the cost of production is on your farming to-do list, starting with accurate numbers is a must. If the equipment side of the equation has you stuck on what to include, why, and how to get caught up on where your records should be, this is the Mind Your Farm Business podcast for… Read More

What does it mean to be a great leader? For Dan Quiggle, true leadership is serving others to help them succeed, relating to staff and colleagues as real people, and taking responsibility for being focused and present in a given moment. Quiggle, founder of The Quiggle Group, is a dynamic and inspiring leader, and someone... Read More

What does it mean to be a great leader? For Dan Quiggle, true leadership is serving others to help them succeed, relating to staff and colleagues as real people, and taking responsibility for being focused and present in a given moment. Quiggle, founder of The Quiggle Group, is a dynamic and inspiring leader, and someone… Read More

What would you try if you knew you couldn’t fail? Fear can be very motivating (ever been chased by a bull in a pasture?) but fear — of failure, of success, of the unknown — can also be paralyzing. Each person’s experience with fear is different, but it’s the very real stories of overcoming fear... Read More

What would you try if you knew you couldn’t fail? Fear can be very motivating (ever been chased by a bull in a pasture?) but fear — of failure, of success, of the unknown — can also be paralyzing. Each person’s experience with fear is different, but it’s the very real stories of overcoming fear… Read More

We often hear that farming is a risky game, due to a massive amount of variables. When you have risk, you need to do what you can to make sure that you’re limiting the potential downside. It’s not realistic to make a farm business risk-neutral, but we can limit the exposure to losses through risk... Read More

We often hear that farming is a risky game, due to a massive amount of variables. When you have risk, you need to do what you can to make sure that you’re limiting the potential downside. It’s not realistic to make a farm business risk-neutral, but we can limit the exposure to losses through risk… Read More

Many times on the Mind Your Farm Business podcast we focus on one issue or topic, as if challenges run independent of each other. On this episode, host Shaun Haney throws that all out the window, and attempts to cover a cloud of issues in farm management. There are many issues impacting the farmers and... Read More

Many times on the Mind Your Farm Business podcast we focus on one issue or topic, as if challenges run independent of each other. On this episode, host Shaun Haney throws that all out the window, and attempts to cover a cloud of issues in farm management. There are many issues impacting the farmers and… Read More

Agriculture has long struggled to attract and retain enough people at nearly every stage of the industry; from general labour, to skilled operators, to farm management, and in the c-suite. In certain geographies, local job markets have made things even more difficult, as higher paying jobs pulled people away from the farm. But now, just... Read More

Agriculture has long struggled to attract and retain enough people at nearly every stage of the industry; from general labour, to skilled operators, to farm management, and in the c-suite. In certain geographies, local job markets have made things even more difficult, as higher paying jobs pulled people away from the farm. But now, just… Read More

Those in agriculture have been encouraged to “tell their story” for years, all in the name of maintaining the social license to operate, or to gain acceptance and understanding of farm practices by the public. But there’s another reason for farmers and agri-business owners to tell a good story: to attract and retain great staff... Read More

Those in agriculture have been encouraged to “tell their story” for years, all in the name of maintaining the social license to operate, or to gain acceptance and understanding of farm practices by the public. But there’s another reason for farmers and agri-business owners to tell a good story: to attract and retain great staff… Read More

If you are a farmer or farm business owner, succession planning is a critical process that you cannot afford to overlook. Succession planning involves transferring ownership and management of your farm business to the next generation, and it is essential for ensuring the long-term viability of your business and your family’s financial future. In this... Read More

If you are a farmer or farm business owner, succession planning is a critical process that you cannot afford to overlook. Succession planning involves transferring ownership and management of your farm business to the next generation, and it is essential for ensuring the long-term viability of your business and your family’s financial future. In this… Read More

Many entrepreneurs struggle with finding the right people to join their team. Right now, the employment market is also very tight as supply is low, and competitiveness for workers is so strong. So much attention is paid to the recruitment of new employees, but how often do we actually focus on the onboarding process? Research... Read More

Many entrepreneurs struggle with finding the right people to join their team. Right now, the employment market is also very tight as supply is low, and competitiveness for workers is so strong. So much attention is paid to the recruitment of new employees, but how often do we actually focus on the onboarding process? Research… Read More

There are many parallels between coaching and team sports and running an effective work force. Leveraging skill sets, managing personality conflicts, goal setting, and teamwork are just as relevant during the seeding season or harvest as they are on the pitch or playing field. For this episode of the Mind Your Farm Business podcast, host... Read More

There are many parallels between coaching and team sports and running an effective work force. Leveraging skill sets, managing personality conflicts, goal setting, and teamwork are just as relevant during the seeding season or harvest as they are on the pitch or playing field. For this episode of the Mind Your Farm Business podcast, host… Read More

There’s a saying that goes hire slow and fire fast. But does that old adage hold true? Amber Johnson, CEO and owner of Forge Performance Group, based in Alberta, says that there isn’t a simple answer to that; if you’ve done the right preparation work ahead of time, asked key questions, and offered a comprehensive... Read More

There’s a saying that goes hire slow and fire fast. But does that old adage hold true? Amber Johnson, CEO and owner of Forge Performance Group, based in Alberta, says that there isn’t a simple answer to that; if you’ve done the right preparation work ahead of time, asked key questions, and offered a comprehensive… Read More

What’s your big, scary dream? The one you really feel you want to achieve? If you’re stuck on how to reach it, former U.S. member of congress Ric Keller says you have to do two things: write it down and then read it day and night. Keller has written a book on goal setting and... Read More

What’s your big, scary dream? The one you really feel you want to achieve? If you’re stuck on how to reach it, former U.S. member of congress Ric Keller says you have to do two things: write it down and then read it day and night. Keller has written a book on goal setting and… Read More

Strong culture and core values are the foundation of a well-functioning team. This applies to business, sports, and, yes, families. When business meets family, as often is the experience for farmers, family members need to work together to define the core values of their operation. In this episode of  The Mind Your Farm Business podcast,... Read More

Strong culture and core values are the foundation of a well-functioning team. This applies to business, sports, and, yes, families. When business meets family, as often is the experience for farmers, family members need to work together to define the core values of their operation. In this episode of  The Mind Your Farm Business podcast,… Read More

You can’t grow the farm out of a problem. If growth of the farm is in the plan — whether driven by outside influences or an internal dream, such as bringing more people in to the farm structure — it pays to take a hard look inward and backward first, before forging ahead. Michael Langemeier... Read More

You can’t grow the farm out of a problem. If growth of the farm is in the plan — whether driven by outside influences or an internal dream, such as bringing more people in to the farm structure — it pays to take a hard look inward and backward first, before forging ahead. Michael Langemeier… Read More

One of the biggest rewards of working in a family business is the opportunity to work every day with multiple generations. This can provide mentorship, learning, and truly rewarding memories and experiences, but it can also present real challenges. Generational differences are real but also sometimes misunderstood, as stereotypes skew perceptions and behaviours. For this... Read More

If the farm is waiting for the tax filing to sort out profit and loss, decisions are being made for close to a year, and maybe more, without a full financial picture. Budgeting may be up there on the favourites list with a root canal or unclogging toilets; it’s rare that someone really loves developing... Read More

Peer to peer learning is incredibly useful in any business, and agriculture is no different. Put simply, peer groups allow for the collective sharing of great ideas. Perhaps just as valuable, they also allow for the collective learning of hard lessons, so that peers within a group don’t have to make the same mistakes. Evan... Read More

The work culture of a farm is much like its reputation — whether it’s intentional or not, it still exists. What makes a work culture? It’s not just people, it’s the behaviour of the people and how well they live out a business’s core values that create a work culture. People’s behaviour is shaped by... Read More